Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for this eCopy to review

Silver Elite by Dani Francis is a thrilling dystopian novel that had me hooked from the very first page. The story follows Wren Darlington, a young woman living in a world where being "Modified" means possessing psychic abilities, which is punishable by death under the current regime. Wren has spent her life hiding her status and supporting the Uprising in secret. However, after a fateful incident, she finds herself imprisoned and forced to join the government's elite training program, Silver Block, under the watchful eye of the enigmatic commander Cross Redden.

The plot is packed with action, political intrigue, and a simmering romance that adds depth to the story. Wren's journey is one of survival, resistance, and self-discovery as she navigates the dangerous world of the Primes and the Mods. The tension between Wren and Cross is palpable, and their dynamic keeps the reader guessing about their true intentions and feelings.

Francis has created a rich and immersive dystopian landscape that feels both familiar and fresh. The societal divisions and the history of the biotoxin that led to the emergence of psychic abilities are well-explained and add layers to the narrative. The story moves swiftly, with plenty of twists and turns that kept me engaged. The last hundred pages, in particular, are filled with shocking revelations and cliffhangers that left me eagerly anticipating the next instalment in the trilogy.

Silver Elite is a compelling start to a new series that fans of dystopian fiction will surely enjoy. The blend of action, romance, and political intrigue makes it a must-read for anyone looking for their next great adventure.

I would give this 10 stars if I could. I am loving the dystopian resurgence and this does not disappoint.

Set In a dystopian version of our world where a biological weapon has mutated some of the human population so that they now have mental powers and are now hated by the ‘primes’ unmutated humans. A truly bleak and terrifying dystopian authoritarian world is created in this story.

Enemies to lovers but he doesn’t know she’s the enemy. Wren and Cross's relationship is steamy perfection. The twists and turns this book takes have me counting the days already to book 2.

Silver Elite! Wow, wow! Wow! That's my review, okay? I'm joking, obviously, but when I tell you I finished this book literally half an hour ago and was like okay I need to write the most unhinged review because I'm absolutely feral for this story. It's a god tier read for me, all the stars, in my top books of the year, I mean the whole shebang!

I honestly think it's best not to know too much of the plot because when I tell you, this book had me dry eyed manically reading till very early hours in the morning like I was telepathically communicating with Wren and Cross Redden themselves, literally shouting at them whilst simultaneously covering my eyes.

The world building is phenomenal, I've seen people say this is like a mash up of Divergent and Fourth Wing, and it's not. It's better, I said what I said.
The Dystopia, The Mods v Primes, The psychic powers vs. soldiers, the incitement! Ahhhh, the plot just plots! but let's talk about my gal Wren. Wren is out here purposefully failing tests, so people don't know how powerful she is! I mean, come on!!! She's a bad ass. Sarcastic and Cocky as hell I loved her.

Cross Redden is rude, grumpy, and also sexy as hell! I swear, every time he called Wren Broken Dove, I swooned harder. He gives off so much I hate you, but I want you energy, and I was so here for it. The forced proximity, the tension between them both sign me all the way up!

I could genuinely be here all day talking about this book, but if you like dystopia, politics, all the drama, and just a book you can completely obsess over, then this is for you. Please talk to me about it once you've read it. Please!

Summary

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️ 2/5

Trust no one is absolutely right!
Oh my days the twists this book took especially towards the end practically gave me whiplash. What just happened?! I need book 2 like now 😫

Dystopian Romances are well and truly back my friends and I am so grateful! This gave all the nostalgia of reading books like divergent for the first time but with a fresh and more adult feel to it. Absolutely obsessed with this book and no idea how I’ll cope with waiting to find out what goes down for Wren next!

The characters were interesting and well written and definitely had me engaged in their stories and journey and not just our MCs but side characters as well! Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out… bam 💥 another double cross! Seriously no one is safe 😅

Nothing is ever as it seems and I really loved the undertones of how no one side is wholly right when it comes to war and how awfully grey and muddy everything becomes, even when you think you’re doing what’s right the lines become blurred so quickly.
It was depicted especially well through this slow realisation reading Wren’s POV.

It was face paced and will keep you turning pages long in to the night and past your bedtime but just hold on to the handle bars and just run with it

Yes there are probably a few bits I could nit pick about but honestly this book was such an enjoyable ride I’m not sure why I’d bother.

I've been on a roll with debut fantasy authors lately and this is another corker!

Psychics hunted for being different, through no fault of their own, a rebellion to oust a corrupt leader (sound familiar!), intolerance of those deemed different, a dystopian world which may just be a place we know very well that has succumbed to climate change and civil unrest. This is a brilliant mix of action/adventure/science fiction & romantasy.

Where most fantasy worlds feel a bit samey, Silver Elite said "hold my beer" and gave me a world that resembles Earth but with a few added extras, name changes, etc but enough similarities I can kind of track where we are in "the real world". The world building in complex and there are lots of big themes handled so well. There are some tough scenes and I'll admit I wanted to hit things a few times when it looked like things were going pear-shaped but everything kind of worked out - even though I'm now standing on the edge of an almighty cliffie!

Wren is by turns annoying, funny, pragmatic, world weary but always, always deadly! She may have to hide her "light" under a bushel but there is no way that can last long because this girl is just too good! It's also nice to see some equality and she is the one who sneaks out of a morning!

Cross really puts the enemy in enemy to lovers! He can be ruthless, determined and downright scary but "things" put it in perspective and between him and Kaine, you won't be short on eye candy.

There are complex relationships all over the place, new friendships, allies won and lost and no small amount of treachery. I did have a wobble on the big reveal of Wolf but I'm glad to say I was right in the first instance. There are side characters aplenty who really fill out the MC's as characters and I was cheering them on through training but be warned - sadly one of my fave's doesn't make it to the end and I was big mad for a while!

TW: Murder/death/war/bigotry/discrimination/alluded to SA/drugs/mental illness & institutionalisation

A MILLION STARS.
THIS WAS SO GOOD, I AM GONNA WRITE THIS ENTIRE REVIEW IN CAPS.
BEST HEROINE I HAVE READ IN A WHILE.
WREN WAS BADASS AND KIND AND STRONG AND ACTED LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. UTTERLY RELATABLE.
UM XADEN RIORSON, WHO? WELCOME CAPTAIN CROSS REDDEN. HE IS THE MAN.
OMG, I LOVED HIM.
POSSESIVE, SMART, AND A CINAMMON ROLL.
THE PLOT? LOVED IT. DYSTOPIAN MEETS FOURTH WING SANS THE DRAGONS.
TWISTS AND TURNS. GREAT SECONDARY CHARACTERS. VERY VIVID UNIVERSE AND AMAZING WORLD BUILDING WITHOUT BEING TIRESOME TO UNDERSTAND.
LOVED THE ENDING!!!!!! BUT I WANT MORE.
ALSO, THE PACING WAS EXCELLENT, I WASN'T BORED AT ALL, NOT EVEN FOR A MOMENT.
GREAT SPICY SCENES, AWESOME SLOW BURN. GREAT BONDS BETWEEN THE CHARACTERS, AWESOME CHARACTERIZATION.
YUP, I DONT HAVE A SINGLE BAD THING TO SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK.
JUST KICKING MYSELF FOR NOT READING MY ARC SOONER.

This book is bound to be a favourite of the year for a lot of people! I absolutely loved the first 25% or so and literally did not want to put it down when I started it. The setting the scene and build up of the tension and world building was done brilliantly and had me hooked straight away. I did find the story started to drag a little around half way and it lost some of that magic for me here although I still did enjoy my time reading. This is a great dystopian debut novel with fantastic world building and tension. Its definitely one that I cannot wait to dive back into when the second book is released

The dystopian YA revival we didn’t know we needed—but are now quietly obsessed with.
If you were a teen in the 2010s living off Divergent, Legend, or Shatter Me, may I introduce you to your adult self’s new fixation? Silver Elite has that unmistakable energy: high stakes, shadowy governments, and one girl who might just crack the system—only this time, she’s not reluctantly special… she knows she is, and she’s worked her whole life to earn it.
The worldbuilding hits that sweet spot: immersive without turning into an infodump. There’s tension, there’s verve, and there’s just enough backstory to make you feel like this society really could exist. (Though let’s be honest—I’d take a spin-off dossier any day.)
And then there’s the MMC. He knows he’s the MMC. The energy is dangerous swagger meets morally grey—he's on the enemy's side, but good luck convincing my brain to care.
Add to that side characters who feel like real people (not cardboard plot-movers), and you’ve got the start of something solid.
Bring on the next installment—I’m emotionally invested now.

OK.. I am very very sorry for this review, because I genuinely thought this would be a favourite of the year.. and yet after the first 1/3 it turned into a heap of editing and plot disasters that tanked it to an utter disappointment.
The dystopian premise, the heroine who is strong but also sensitive, the moral dilemmas... all started really well. And then.. once she enters the military academy.. all ruined.
Wren could have been such a combination of powerful heroine that has to hide herself but also try to use some of her powers for her people all the while avoiding the rest which can be destructive and murderous.. instead she turns up to be completely impulsive, thoughtless and in the end utterly stupid. Like,..see a motorcycle and decide to grab it and ride away while being monitored in a highly lethal military camp and when you are already lucky to have escaped with your life? Who in good sense would go and reveal the tattoo that puts a target on their back and makes them enemy no 1 for a murderous regime, after years of concealment and when their closest family member trained them for years to hide and died to protect them? Just to.. what? Prove misguided loyalty to a guy who should already know her precarious situation as he is in same place and who never asked or would appreciate such an act of utter idiocy? Or the reasoning " they will not see it where it is".. when she is in a training academy and goes into common showers, common missions... I mean privacy in these cases is known to be non-existent?
She is also one of the most morally hypocritical characters I have seen.. she swears over and over she will not use her lethal powers no matter what, then when she is threatened she does so without a second thought, out of choice, not out of lack of control like the first time.. and it would be Ok if in her inner monologue she proved she has acknowledged from the start that she understands she will cross that line to save herself and people she wants to protect. But no.. she remains obtuse to her own flaws.. goes on to tell her comrade "don't worry, I am a nice person, I would never harm anyone, trust me!".. I found that so completely hilarious.. like the scorpio that lied to cross the river and then bit.. nature always wins.
The romance.. so problematic. I can appreciate the allure of the "dark broody matcho instructor" but in the beginning he was like a Xaden bad copycat, and then the whole attutide towards her, a student, was borderline cringey and unacceptable given their difference in power dynamics and position. As for their sudden love declarations and the supposed connection that they are revealed to have.. such a copout. It could have been left for their relationship to develop given their backgrounds and despite all the issues between them, but suddenly they know each other and have been in love for years... when nowhere before is it even implied that he is nothing more than a friend to 'Daisy".. and if he loved her and she loved him, then it makes the way they behaved in real life even more cringey.. you love another woman but basically stalk and borderline abuse power over your student,.. then try to get closer to her as "feelings" develop? Like.. no?
And the mess that became the plot in the end. Wren is so clueless and yet behaves like she knows more than seasoned seniors.. she just looks stupid. She kills Jade- a plot point that offers zilch to the story other than proving that she will kill when threatened.. but then Cross, at a time of high security risk when everything would be in close scrutiny and alert as their leader was.. you know.. murdered.. is able to visit her in her cell with ease, breaks her off with no difficulty, then they go galivanting and stealing military supplies and vehicles unstoppable.. even if he is a high ranking officer noone is that unscrutinised and it is all totally unbelievable.
I can see why people are taken in by the story, premise and the outward allure of the story and characters..but apply a critical mind to it and it all crumbles. Most will not and it will be a massive success.
I am really sad as it had so much promise. I will probably give the next a chance just in case the redeeming qualities of the first patch up the rest of the disaster.

DYSTOPIAN IS THE NEW BLACK IN 2025

And Dani Francis absolutely rocks it!

I fell so hard for this book! The plot, the vibes, the romance and just the right amount of naughty naughty!

I adored ever second … could not put it down! And guys …. It’s out in just 4 days!

Thank you so much to @delrey for the netgalley arc I DEVOURED!

Oh my goodness, this is incredible! I’m absolutely hooked and can’t wait to read more from this amazing author.

This was a very bingeable book with an easy writing style and a storyline that was reminiscent of 2010’s dystopian novels (very much Divergent vibes). It’s a great debut that drew me in and kept me wanting more, even if it was a little predictable.

Silver Elite is a dystopian story with a heavy focus on the romance, romantasy fans will enjoy this but I wish there had been just a little less romance and more depth to the world building and a clearer underlying message which is expected in the dystopian genre.

The story follows Wren, who must hide her psychic powers at all costs, as these are outlawed and she will be killed on site if discovered. She finds herself in the most dangerous place she could, turned spy for the rebellion training to become one of only a handful of members of Silver Elite, the best of the best in the military and the team responsible for the deaths of so many of her people.

Wren is a reckless strong minded woman and is definitely a character to root for, despite some of her less than smart choices. The tension and banter between her and Cross was excellent, I actually wish this was drawn out a little longer for a true slow burn to keep that on your toes tension. It did fizzle a little once they gave in to their feelings which is a shame. There were some fun side characters introduced throughout, I always enjoy a found family story and the complexity of Wren’s feelings about befriending her enemies added an extra element to the dynamic.

The one big thing that stopped this from being a higher rated read was the language style which felt quite juvenile to me. In particular the choice of having Wren focus so much on everyone’s attractiveness as a way to give character descriptions when for me she should have been so much more focused on the severity of her life and death situation and the use of certain slang words also pulled me out of the story. It has a fairly predictable storyline but I didn’t hate this, as I enjoyed going along for the ride.

Despite my niggles with it, I had a great time reading this, it was very much a ‘for the vibes’ fun read and I am very much looking forward to the sequel.

3.5 stars but I will round up to 4 because it is a very impressive debut!

In a market currently saturated with Romantasy books this was so refreshing and different. I read this in two days because I could not put it down! Excellent world building pulled me in from the start.

Some of it was very predictable and I saw nearly every twist coming but I still enjoyed it immensely. I did feel the last 100 pages felt a bit rushed but I am excited to see where the story goes.

amazing !!! I’m obsessed like actually wow I can’t believe I put off reading this for so long. The concept of this book was insanely good, I’m in love with everything about this book. Cross Redden !!!! Wren !! ahhhh I love the characters so much. loved the plot twists, just can’t wait for the next book!! wolf & daisy🥹🤭

Romantasy is hot, romantasy is everywhere and romantasy is exactly what I want and read. However, I think this is the first dystopian romantasy I've come across in a while. Since the book sounded a little like Touch Me meets Fourth Wing I was insanely curious. My special edition was already pre-ordered and then I got an email from Del Rey that they had an e-arc available for me through Netgalley. I of course didn't hesitate and grabbed it!

This book is exactly what it promises to be. In a dystopia, where people with powers are hated and hunted by those without, two people, both on the other side of the conflict, fall in love. I have to admit that the world-building could have been better. It feels a little weird that I still don't really understand how the powers came to be and how this version of the world is related to ours. However, if you can ignore all that, this book is a fun, quick, entertaining, romantic and thrilling read.

That's partly because the heroine of the story is both relatable and the right amount of reckless. Yes, at times she does stupid and impulsive things, but when she notices that it's not getting her anywhere or that it's getting her in trouble, she knows when to start being smarter. I also like that there is room for debate. She's not automatically seeing one side as the good guys and the other as the bad guys, which is quite refreshing in this genre.

I also quite liked the romance. Although I love a slow burn, especially when we're talking about enemies to lovers, in this case it felt quite fitting that they were not waiting half a book before admitting that there was something there. They were both the type of characters to just go for what they want. Life is already short enough. However, the finale is not so happily ever after and with all the political reveals I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 as I love dystopian books and this sounded reminiscent of series which I grew up reading and adored at the time. This book felt like reading a mix of elements from Divergent, Shatter Me and Fourth Wing, and I had a really enjoyable, nostalgic reading experience with it! The plot was fast-paced, there were some intriguing side characters and high stakes, and I think the ending of this first book has set up what has the potential to be a really great trilogy – hopefully the world-building will be explored further and expanded upon in the next book as this was what I found most interesting! I was not overly invested in the romance and struggled to connect to the main love interest, who I felt lacked a bit of depth, but I enjoyed how unpredictable Wren was as a main character (despite a few questionable decisions). Although I predicted one of the story's reveals, there was plenty of action and plot twists to keep me guessing throughout, and the ending particularly stood out to me. I am very intrigued to see where the next book takes the story and I will definitely be continuing on with the series!
If you enjoyed the Dauntless training programme from Divergent, the tension-filled romance from Fourth Wing, and the world-building from Shatter Me, I think you would really like this book! 💙

5 stars - arc review. This is my first dystopian fantasy and omg it was amazing. The world building, the characters, the twists, all truly amazing. I’m obsessed with Cross and following Wren’s perspective from the beginning, I was hooked. I’m gutted I have to wait for the sequel but I also can’t wait it’s gonna be amazing. One of my favourite books of the year so far.

Silver Elite 4 stars

Been a while since I've read dystopian fiction and while there were a few issues, overall it was very enjoyable and bingeable.

Starting with the good, the first half of this book was an easy 5 stars. The story is told in the first-person of Wren, our FMC, and her POV is funny and enjoyable to follow. The plot gets going right away and the author is great at avoiding info-dumping so you feel involved in the world building and pick up on its intricacies in a really natural way. It's a page-turner and there's plenty of action (even if it some of it gets a bit ridiculous at times).

Overall, I did really like Wren - she's fiery, stubborn and holds her own well. However, she does make a series of bad decisions that became harder and harder to justify and felt downright frustrating by the end. She says herself her biggest flaw is being impulsive and that definitely was true and made me want to shake her at times for being so stupid. That said, her journey and development as the book progresses was interesting to read and super intrigued to see how that continues with the next book.

Cross is the MMC and his relationship with Wren has great tension to begin with and plenty of will-they-won't-they. I will say Cross felt a bit less developed than Wren (often happens with first-person narratives I guess) and again some of his plot just felt like it didn't make much sense / was pretty unrealistic.

There were a couple of "plot twists" that you can see coming from a mile off. There was one in particular that I think was meant to be huge but also I just felt wasn't necessary / felt a bit much (and I'm sure people can guess which one I'm talking about).

That all said, I am excited to see where the next book goes. I think this book does a lot of setting up and has a huge amount of potential to be a great series.

ARC Review: Silver Elite by Dani Francis
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I would give it infinite stars if I could)

If you want a book that will emotionally wreck you then this is your book! I will take zero criticism about this book!

This book ripped my heart out and then stamped all over it! The whole book was a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every freaking minute of it! The thrill, the adventure, the heat and the passion, the banter, the laughter… I could literally go on and on.

We meet Wren Darlington, a young woman forced to conceal her psychic abilities from the world. After loosing the one person she loved and trusted in the world, she’s thrown into a journey that will lead her to discover who she is and who she can trust. So many twist and turns lead her down a path where she is forced to constantly watch her back.

Move over Xaden Riorson because Cross Redden is in the house! That man can do no wrong in my opinion! The definition of hotness with just the right touch of obsessiveness, protectiveness, love and danger! I freaking love this man!!!

There are also so many side characters with personalities to suit all. I laughed out loud at the banter which was truly hilarious at times. I cried at the heartbreak the characters felt and the devastating losses and betrayals.

This book will take you on a never ending journey of emotional chaos from start to finish and you will absolutely freaking love it!

Come find me when you have finished because I will be talking about this book FOREVER!!!!! My absolute favourite of the year so far! ❤️‍🔥

Thank you SO much to @authordanifrancis, @netgalley, @randomhouse and @delreybooks for the ARC. I feel so incredibly blessed and truly grateful.

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Firstly, thank you so much for NetGalley, Del Rey and Dani Francis for providing me with an advanced copy ahead of Silver Elite’s release, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity!

This was everything and MORE I wanted from an adult dystopian romance, and was truly one of the best new releases I’ve read in such a long time!!! I actually can’t quite pull together how much I ADORED this book, it was intriguing, exciting, super compelling and paced incredibly.

The characters were layered and interesting, and I loved the snippets we got of both modified and prime members, and the x-men like powers and system it’s governed in was SO COOL, and I thought the politics were realistic and kept the overarching plot together really well.

I loved Wren, she was the perfect mix of competent but still insulated by her upbringing, it was so interesting seeing her learn about the world and become more integrated into command life as a cadet - she has just the right amount of ego, naïveté and skill from her childhood life, and I was rooting for her at every turn.

The plot was SO incredible and I could put this book down!! I was so compelled by the internal politics and training she goes through, and then the later portion of the book was just lore reveal and bombshell after another, which I LOVED. There were a couple of big reveals I guessed quite early on, but the breadcrumbs are there throughout to help you piece it together, and a few parts I didn’t see coming at all - which made me lose my mind in the best way!!

Finally, I loved the romance!!! It was tension filled and angsty, with enough longing to keep you hooked. The spice was so well written and I loved that their dynamic was realistic for the setting and not too fluffy. It didn’t take away from the main plot or become too heavy for the dystopian, militaristic setting. Cross is the pathetically down bad captain that we all need!!

I’ll be thinking about this book for a LONG TIME and I truly cannot wait to see where the series goes from here!